Microfluidic devices for electrophoretic analysis of materials

Abstract

The present invention provides a microfluidic system for electrophoretic analysis of materials in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology and numerous other fields. Light absorbance signals are received by a photodetector from periodically spaced regions along a channel in the microfluidic system. The signals received by the photodetector are modulated by the movement of species bands through the channel under electrophoretic forces. By Fourier analysis, the velocity of each species band is determined, and identification of the species is made based on its electrophoretic mobility in the channel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 606,158 filed Jun. 25, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 977,056 filed Oct. 12, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 378,169 filed Aug. 19, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,740), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 207,864 filed Dec. 8, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,048), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 941,679 filed Sep. 30, 1997 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,495), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 683,080 filed Jul. 16, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,157).BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] There has been a growing interest in the manufacture and use of microfluidic systems for the acquisition of chemical and biochemical information. Techniques commonly associated with the semiconductor electronics industry, such as phot...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention provides for a microfluidic system for high-speed electrophoretic analysis of subject materials for applications in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology and numerous other areas. The system has a channel in a substrate, a light source and a photoreceptor. The channel holds subject materials in solution in an electric field so that the materials move through the channel and separate into bands according to species. The light source excites fluorescent light in the species bands and the photoreceptor is arranged to receive the fluorescent light from the bands. The system further has a means for masking the channel so that the photoreceptor can receive the fluorescent light only at periodically spaced regions along the channel. The system also has an unit connected to analyze the modulation frequencies of light intensity received by the photoreceptor so that velocities of the bands along the channel are determined. This allows the materials to be analyzed.

Problems solved by technology

While these operations are fast compared to macroscale electrophoretic methods, the operations fall short of a highly automated microfluidic system, such as disclosed in the above-mentioned Pat. No. 5,942,443, for example.

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